The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-08-29
FOREST CITY'S HEALTH.
BUT LITTLE SICKNESS HERE
AMONG THE NATIVES.

AMONG THE NATIVES.
The Druggists Look to Tourists for
Their Profit The Summer Business
Will Not Pay the Rent--A Compare
son of Months and What it Shows.
There is a class of people who wear mel
ancholy look during the summer months,
though they are never hilarious at any time
but now they are walking about with de-
jected air that plainly tells they are not
happy They are the druggists, and they
are feeling very sick just now, simply be-
cause no one else feels that way. If man
wants to know what it is to have princely
reception, let him walk into a drug
store and ask to have a prescription
filled. He will be stared at just
as hard as would real
live prince and then he will be waited on
like Jay Gould. That gives an idea why
the druggists have such sad expression
just now. Prescriptions are scarce, and
when one does come in it is joyfully receiv-
ed The prescription case has almost been
relegated to class B, while the soda water
fountain has gone up to the head of class A.
A DRUGGIST AND DOCTOR.
A physician walked into drug store yes
terday to purchase some small artic les, and
while the clerk was getting them he and
the proprietor fell into chat. Presently
the druggist askedl
Flows business with you, doctor"
''Poor, poor, very poor!" was the reply.
80 it is with me. l declare, PEG
Pile are so exceedingly healthy now
adays that there's no money in the
business" remarked the druggist as a
shade of sadness overspread his coun-
tenance It's about true too. AT least the
members of the craft all say so. They say
that the summer business will not pay the
rent, and it would be cheaper to close up
the store and go North for the sum-
mer, than to stay here and try to
make a living off of rich people.
There are several reasons for it,
and one is that Savannah is a healthy city
all the year round, and even when all its
people are at home there is not heavy bust
ness TO be done Another reason is that so
many leave the city, and If they are sick
some other druggist gets the benefit OF it.
Still another is that there are no tourists
here during the summer.
WHERE THE PROFIT COMES FROM
The sick people who come south for their
health during the winter are a profitable
source of revenue TO the druggist and they
are missed when blushing spring drives
these migratory birds to colder chimes. The
residents of this city just about pay the eX-
penses of the drug stores, so the druggists
say, and the travellers deposit a few stray
dimes that go to make up the profits. That
is very healthy showing for the city,
though it Is somewhat hard on the drug
glsts. Still, taking it all the year round,
they manage to make living, at least.
THE MONTHLY COMPARISON.
A COMPARISON of the number of prescrip-
tions put up in the different months bears
out the statement of the druggists and shows
that the amount of sickness in the city is
small all the year around, but very much
smaller in the months when there are no
travellers here The number of prescriptions
begins to swell about October. In November it
increases, and in December it is still larger.
Through January and February it continues
at the top notch, and in March it begins TO
decrease. From May to October there is
but little doing in the prescription line and it
is then that the druggist and doctor begin to
counsel each other and to talk together over
their common trouble.
THE WEATHER DRUGGISTS LIKE.
One noticeable thing about the character
of the prescriptions is that during the tour
lists months" preparations for relieving
throat and lung troubles form very large
part of the business, thus again showing
that it is to the traveller, not the native,
that the druggist must look for his ducats,
for they are people from the North who
want the throat and lung treatment, and it
is because of these troubles that they have
come to Savannah, to enjoy the benefit of
mild winter, healthful atmosphere and
delightful city.
Ask druggist what kind of weather he
prefers and he will say that he thinks the
cold weather is far preferable; it is
more invigorating. aud one can move
around more briskly without experiencing
the discomforts of the summer But back
of that there is another reason. There is a
still small voice that cries business" in his
ear, and that has something to do with his
choice Of seasons, and not little